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Mackenzie Elected USGA President

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Reed K. Mackenzie of Chaska, Minn., has been elected to serve a one-year term as president of the United States Golf Association.

The election of officers and the full 15-member USGA Executive Committee took place Saturday at the USGA's annual meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo. Mackenzie, who succeeded Trey Holland of Indianapolis, Ind., will lead the professional staff and more than 1,200 volunteers who serve on more than 30 committees.

Mackenzie, 59, who served four years as vice president and a year each as treasurer and secretary, first became involved in USGA affairs with the Junior Amateur Championship Committee in 1977. He has been a member of the Executive Committee since January 1992, the year after he served as general chairman for the U.S. Open at his home course of Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

Mackenzie is an expert rules official who has worked every U.S. Open since 1978. He has been a rules official at more than 70 USGA championships. He has been a member of Hazeltine since 1965 and served as club president from 1981-1984 has been club champion four times.

Mackenzie was president of the Minnesota Golf Association from 1988-1990, and his wife, Jane, was president of the Minnesota Women's Golf Association in 1988. He has been a director for the MGA since 1978.

The other elected officers of the Executive Committee are Fred S. Ridley of Tampa, Fla., and Walter W. Driver Jr. of Atlanta,vice presidents; Eric J. Gleacher of New York, secretary; H. Winfield Padgett Jr. of Dallas,treasurer; and John W. (Jack) Vardaman of Washington, D.C., general counsel for his fifth year.

Seven others were re-elected to the executive committee while three individuals were elected for a first term.

Craig Ammerman of Cherry Hill, N.J., Emily R. (Missy) Crisp of Mill Neck, N.Y., and Bruce C. Richards of Bellevue, Wash., have been newly elected to serve one-year terms on the Executive Committee.

Retiring from the executive committee are Peter W. James of Pacific Palisades, Calif., Frederick C. Hickle of Tucson, Ariz., and Trey Holland of Indianapolis, Ind.

The USGA is golf's governing body in this country and shares the responsibility for writing and interpreting the Rules of Golf for the world with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland.

The organization's most visible role, however, is played out each season in conducting 13 national championships, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women's Open, and U.S. Senior Open. The other 10 national championships are exclusively for amateurs and include the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Women's Amateur. Nearly 40,000 golfers entered USGA championships during 2001.